Thirds to john d



(No Model.)

0. 1). TISDALIL 7 RAILWAY SIGNALING'APPARATUS.

Patented Apr. 21

NVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITE STATES PATENT Trice.

CHARLES 1). TISDALE, on BoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR on TWO- THIRDS To JOHN D. GOULD, on NEWWYORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.316,201, dated April 21, 1885.

Application filed August 5, 1884. (No model.) I

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

of Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway Signalin Apparatus, of which'the following is a description, reference being had to the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagram representing the instruments and circuits of my improved electric Signaling apparatus. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the track-instrument. Fig. 3 is a diametrical section of the color-disk; and Fig. 4 is a detail view of a modified'form of trackinstrument.

My invention consists in an improved arrangement of circuits, track-instruments, and relays, whereby a signal of danger is displayed whenatrain enters a section to be protected, and is withdrawn when a train leaves a section and the track is clear.

My invention further consists in a signallantern provided with a color-disk composed of colored gelatine and mica for changing the color of the light emitted by the signal-lamp, the object of this construction being to provide a very light disk capable of being readily moved by an electro-magnet energized by an electric current under the control of the track-instrument and relays.

It further consists in a track-instrument of I simple construction, designed to be operated by the wheels of the passing train and capable of being used as either an open or a closed circuit instrument.

At opposite ends of the track-section A to be protected are placed circuit-breaking trackinstruments B B, which are secured to the side of the track-rail, and are respectively in circuit with the relays O G and localbatteries D D. The armature a of the relay '0 is socured to a lever, b, whose pivot is connected with the ground, and whose free end carries two contact-points, c c, which are capable of being brought into contact with the screws cl (1. The armature a is drawntoward the relay-magnet 0, against the force of a retractile spring, 6. The contact-screw cl communicates bya wire, f, with the magnet E of the signallantern F, and the magnet-E communicates by the main-line wire Gwith the magnet E of the lantern F, located at the opposite end of the section to be protected. The main line G includes a line-battery, H, and the magnet E is connected with the pivot of the lever b of the relay 0, and the contact-screw d is connected with one terminal of the relay 0 whose other terminal is connected with the pivot of the lever b The contact-point of the lever I) is capable of touching the screw (P, which is grounded through the wire 9. Track-instruments B and B, placed at opposite ends of the section A, are connected by a wire, J, which wire is connected by a branch, h, with the lever 12 of the relay G The track-instruments Biand Bare arranged on the open-circuit plan, and are closed only when a train is entering the section A. The armatures t iof the magnets E E of the lanterns F F are attached to levers j, pivoted in the base of the.

lantern and connected by a link, It, with a swinging arm, Z, pivoted in the top of the lantern and carrying at its free end a colored disk, m, which is capable of covering the lens or bulls-eyen of thesignal-lantern. The colored disk on is composed of a circular sheet, 0, of colored gelatine, inclosed between two sheets, p, of mica, as shown in Fig. 3, the whole being clamped in a metallic rim, g, which is Se cured to the arm Z.

The-track-instrument shown in Fig. 2 is composed of two blocks, K, of wood secured to the track by bolts 7", and supporting an arched strip of metal, L, carrying the contact-point s, also a straight bar of metal, M, carrying a contactscrew, t. To the block K is secured an arm, at, having at its free end a contact-point, c, which is normally in contact with the bar M. For the local circuits including the batteries D D, the wires are connected with the bar M, and with the arm a, and for the open circuit including the wire J the arched bar L is in electrical communica tion with the wire J, and the straight bar M is in electrical communication with the trackrail, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.2; and the track-rail is connected with the ground, as indicated in Fig. 1.

A train entering the section A in the direction of the arrow, passes over the track-instrument 13 without producing any effect on mature and allow the color-disks m. to drop behind the lenses n and tint the light passing from the signal-lamp through the said lens n,

indicating that the train has entered upon the be used for both day and night service, the lamp being allowed to burn both. day and night. a window will be provided in the lantern-castrack-section. The current from the mainline battery H passes normally through the magnet of the relay 0 and holds the point 0 in contact with the screw d and is grounded at that end through the wire 9. When the:

train enters the section A, as already described, and the main-line circuit is interrupted between the points 0 and d, the armature-lever b of the relay 0 is released and drops back, leaving the main line open, or without a ground, thus preventing the current from flowing through the lantern-magnets E E, and allowing the color-disks to hang by their own gravity in front of the lenses of the lanterns until a ground to the main line is again furnished. The train in passing over the section A rolls over the track-instrument B and produces no other effect than the temporary opening of the circuit of the local battery D; but when the train passes over the track-instrument B it establishes an electric connection between the wire J and the ground through the track-rails. The magnet of the relay 0 is now grounded through the wires h and J, track-instrument B, and the trackrail, and, becoming energized by the current from the battery H, moves the armature a forward, bringing the point a and screw (1 into electric contact with the ground-connection of the main line through the wire 9,

where it remains until the track'instruments are again operated in the manner already described.

, When a train enters the section A from the opposite end, the track-instrumentB is operated without producing any effect, on the circuits; but when the track-instrument B is operated the circuit of the local battery D is broken, the armature at of the relay 0 is released and falls back, breaking the contact between the screw 0 and d destroying the power of the magnet of the relay O permitting the spring 6 to move the armature-lever b and break the contact between the contactpoints 0 and contact-screw 61 The main-line circuit being now interrupted, the color-disks m drop by their own gravity, covering the lenses n, and indicate danger. The mainline circuit is not again completed until the train in passing oft from the secti'onA operates the track-instrument B grounding the wire J through the track-rail, when the current of the main-line battery again passes through the magnet of the relay (3 and restores the contact between the points a and the screw (1 and grounds the main line through the wire 9.

The local circuits may be operated on the open-circuit plan by arranging the track-instruments B and B to hold the circuit normally open, and by making the connections with the back contact-screws, d and d, of the relays O and 0, instead of with the screws d and'das already described.

My improved signal-lantern is designed to In addition to the light of. the lamp,

ing, opposite the lense n, to allow the daylight to supplement the lamp.

When my improved apparatus is used on the open-circuit plan, I may employ a. trackinstrunient composed of a metal strip, 0; clamped to a bar, P, of wood with an intervening strip, Q, of ribbon or other insulating material, as shown in Fig. 4, the bar of wood being clamped to the side of the rail by bolts and the circuit being closed by the car-wheel as it passes over both the rail and the metal strip 0.

My improved signalemploys but a single system for day and night, and istherefore simple and easily operated and taken care of. The construction of the color-disk m is such as to permit of operating it directly by means of an electro-magnet without the intervention of clock-work or machinery of any kind.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In railway signaling apparatus, the combination of the relays O C andtheir respective local and line circuit connections, the circuitclosing track-instruments B 13", line J, branch h, relay 0 whereby the main line G is deprived of a ground while a train is passing over the section being protected, as herein specified.

2. In railway signaling apparatus, the combination of the insulating-blocks K K, curved bar I), and. straight bar M, the contact-point s, contact-screw i, and arm a, forming an open and closed circuit track-instrument, as specified.

3. In railway signaling apparatus, a color disk formed of colored gelatine or analogous material inclosed between protecting plates of mica, as herein specified.

CHARLES n. TISDALE.

\Vitnesses:

GEo. M. HOPKINS, H G. HAGEN. 

